Machine for manufacturing lead-head nails



Aug. 30, 1932. e. N. WILLIAMS MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING LEAD HEAD NAILS Original Filed Feb: 15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVEHIEIR.

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1932- s. N.-WILLIAM$ 1,374,578

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING LEAD HEAD NAILS Original Filed Feb. 15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 30, 1932. c. N. WILLIAMS MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING LEAD HEAD NAILS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Feb. 15, 1928 IHVENIDE.

Arrfs 30, 1932- G. N. WILLIAMS 1,874,678

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING LEAD HEAD NAILS Original Filed Feb. 15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 All/MIIWI I;

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Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES GEORGE N. WILLIAMS,

OF KOKOLIO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 'I'O CONTINENTAL STEEL COR- BORA'I'IQN, F KOKOMO, INDIANA, A COBIPQRATION OF INDIANA MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING LEAD-HEAD NAILS Continuation of application Serial No. 254,529, filed February 15, 1928. This application filed. August 12, 1929. Serial No. 885,393.

This invention has to do with the manufacture of what is now commonly known as lead-head nails, i. e., weatherproof nails which have soft metal washers encircling the nail heads and portions of the shank immediately next the nail head. Such nails are now extensively employed for fastening corrugated and flat sheet roofing or siding to the underlying rafters, purlins or studdin T he principal object of the invention is to provide a machine for automatically apply ing the soft metal, such as lead, to the head end of the nails by driving the nails through a strip of lead and through suchaction detach suficient of the strip to provide the lead-head; or to drive the nails through a spherical mass of metal, each mass including the necessary material to provide the leadhead. I

lhe invention has for a provide in a machine of the character described, means to feed the nails to driving means to feed'the metal for the heads to penetrating position, by the nails, means to center the na1ls, separable dies for forming the lead-heads on the nails, a driving means, and a delivery means for the finished lead-headed nails.

Other and further objects will more fully appear from the following description.

lhat the invention may be more fully understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this description, illustrating a preferred embodi ment of the invention, in whch:-

Fig. l is a front elevation, on a greatly reduced scale, of a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2-is a side'elevation of Fig. 1, as the same would appear, looking at the right hand side of such figure;

' Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, as the same would appear, looking at the left hand side of such figure;

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the operating means for the metal strip feeding means;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional v1ew showing the nail feed, the nail centerfurther object ing means, nail driving means, dies and nail delivery means;

Fi 6 is a tranverse sectional detail view showing the dies and associated parts, the dies being in open position and the position of a nail just preceding the nail driving operation; 7

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view, somewhat similar to Fig. 6 but with the dies closed and the nail having been driven and the nail lead-headed;

Fig. 8 is a detail in plan, partly in section, showing the nail centering means and a metal strip, as the same would appear if taken on the line 88, Fig. 6;

' Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view, somewhat similar to Fig. 5, except that means is shown for feeding spherical masses of soft metal, such as lead, to provide the leadhead for the nails;

Fig. 10 is a detail section, in plan, of the nail centering means, as the same would ap-t pear if taken on the line 10-10, Fig. '9;

- Fig. 11 is a detail section, in plan, of spherical mass centering means, as the same would appear if taken on the line 11-11, Fig. 9., an

Fig. 12 is a plan view and an elevation, partly in section, enlarged, showing a leadheaded nail, a product of the within described machine.

Like characters of reference denote correspending parts throughout the figures.

Nails such as are lead-headed on my machine may be seen in Fig. 12, comprising a shank a having preferably a fiat metallic head 6 formed from the body of the material from which the nail is made and the head and part of the shank adjacent thereto em braced by a soft metal washer 0, preferably of lead.

Referring to the machine, the same includes legs 1 supporting a bed 2 on which is supported in fixed osition a die-plate 3 formed or provided wit "a guide-way 4: in which are arranged for movement, toward and from each other, corresponding die members 5. 5, the meeting ends of which have sectional nail scatsfi, preferably shaped so that when caused to embrace a nail they receive, in addition to the head of a nail and shank portion adjacent thereto, also receive, embrace and in g and inclined outwardly and downwardly are closed or are in forming position.

are spaced plates or bars 8 which provide a chute to deliver by gravity the lead-headed nails, to any sultable receptacle. The plates or bars 8 being spaced apart only a suflicient distance to receive the shanks of the nails therebetween with the lead-heads restin and sliding on the upper edges of said plates or bars, as shown. Also, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the inner ends of the dies 5 are off-set to receive the upper receiving. ends of the plates or bars 8, when the dies Risin from the bed 21s a supporting standar or frame 9, from the front face of which is supported a guiding head 10, the lower guiding portion of which terminates immediately above and is centered over the meeting position of the inner ends of the dies 5, and to and below the lower end of said guiding portion is dis osed the centralizing means, to be describe for centering the nails as they are successively driven through the soft metal to attach the same thereto.

Supported for oscillation at the head: end of the frame 9 is a hopper 11 for holding, in bulk, the nails, to be lead-headed, and this hopper is so arranged that oscillation thereof will agitate the nails so that they are successively discharged from the hopper onto the inclined ide 12, see Fig. 2, and as the nails reacht e end of said guide, by reason of gravity, they are picked up by the notched disc 13 and discharged, one at a time, into the tube 14 which eeds the nails into the 'de 15 in the iding head 10 which delivers the said nails into the perpendicularly disposed delivery opening 16 in said guiding head 10. The opening 16 is the continuing lower portion of a guide-way 17 in which is reciprocally arranged a driving plunger or hammer member 18, to the upper outer end of which is connected links 19 to which, in turn, is pivotally connected a lever 20 fulcrumed to the frame 9 at 21. This lever is the means throu h which movement is positivel imparted in oscillating the hopper 11, for iving the lunger or hammer 18 and for moving .the ies 5 toward each other.

22 designates a driving shaft journaled in suitable bearin s on the rear of the machine frame and saif shaft may receive its power from a suitable source through a pulley wheel 23 secured to said shaft. The said shaft has connected thereto an eccentric 24 which in turn is operatively connected with the lever 20 through a connecting member 25, and 26 is a member connecting the lever 20 with the hopper 11 for oscillatin latter with each reciprocation of said lever. Secured to the said shaft 22 is a bevel gear pinion 27 with which meshes a bevel gear wheel 28 on the lower end of a shaft 29 to which is secured the notched disc 13, see Fig. 2.

Journaled longitudinally of and in suitable bearings at the rear of the bed-plate 3 is a rockshaft 30. At a suitable point to said shaft 30 isconnected a crank-arm 31 to which is pivotall connected one end of a pitman bar 32 which, at its upper end has a pivotal connection with the lever 20, see Fig. t

2. To the op osite ends of said rock sha 30, at points beyond the outer ends of the die members 5, are secured lever arms 33 having the cam or beveled faces 34, which faces are adapted to ride against and'coact with similar faces on plates 35 secured to the outer ends of the die members 5, see Figs. 6 and 7. The die members 5 are normally held opened and are separated on the formation of a .lead-head by means of springs 36 which are carried in recesses 37 in the bed-plates 35. The dies being moved to closed position in pre-determined time for the driving of a nail, by the rocking of the shaft 30 and the movement of the levers 33 against the plates 35.

In the form of the machine described, the lead-heads for the nails are provided by the strip of metal-A. This strip is carried on a spool B, see dotted lines, Fig. 1, the spindle of which is removably journaled in a support C secured to a side of the machine. T e strip A isfed longitudinally of and across the upper surfaces of the dies 5, by means of feeding rollers 38 carried by shafts 39 which are spring mounted at one end in a' frame 40 and journaled at their opposite ends in a standard 41, and the shafts geared together by gearing42. To actuate these shafts, one is provided with a ratchet wheel 43 operated by a ratchet-pawl 44 carried by a lever 45 fulcrumed on a shaft 39 and having an end riding on and adapted to be oscillated by a cam 46 on the driving shaft 22. The lever 45 is maintained in contact with the cam 46 by a spring 47 and a spring 48 engaging the ratchet wheel 43 holds it to its forward movement and prevents backward movement thereof. The stri A is guided to position over the dies 5 and of guides 49, arranged substantially as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7.

The centralizing means for the nails to the 1 held to position by means a guide them to position when penetrating the strip A, comprises a housing 50 secured to the lower deliveryend of the guiding frame 10. This housing includes an opening 51 disposed axially below the opening 16 and intercepting this opening are a plurality of radial guide openings 52 1n which are movable the centering members 53 held to operative posisuch members and" at a seat to receive the pointed ends of the nails,

that the centering means in association with the opening 16 will retain thenails perpendicularly, see Fig. 6, while the plunger. or hammer 18 acts to engage and drive the nail downwardly, which action will cause a sep ration or spreading of the members 13 permitting the nails to be forced down through the strip-A, cutting enough of the metal from the stri to provide the soft washer a for the head the nail and to embrace the same in manner shown in Fig. 12 throughand by which the nail and metal is forced, as shown plunger or device,

1 described, assuming in Fig. 7.

In the operation of the machine thus far the driving shaft 22 to be operated, the lever 20 imparts oscillatory movement to the hopper 11 to cause the discharge of the nails which are fed to the notched disc 13 in the manner seen in Fig. 2 and said disc delivers the nails point downward into the tube 14 through which they find their way into the delivery opening 16 where the nails drop point downward resting on the seat formed by the centralizing members 53, see Fig. 6. The lever 20- reciprocates the delivery of each nail onto the centralizing and said plunger or hammer as it reaches the lower end of its stroke drives the nail past the members 53, forcing these outwardly against the tension of the springs 52, which permits the nail to be driven through the strip A carrying with it sufiicient of the metal of the strip A. to provide the metal washer a. By this time the dies v5, through the instrumentalities described, have been moved to the closed position in Fig. 7, so that the continued downward movement of the nail and washer 0, through the action of the plunger or hammer results in compressing the washer o'about the head of the nail'and the shank next adjacent thereto, substantially as seen in Fig. 12. On the formation of the lead-head on the nail the dies are released so that the springs 36, which have been compressed, act quickly to release the dies from the nail and return the same to open position, seenin Fig. 6. Ihere can be no lateral movement of the lead-headed nail, as its shank is positioned between the plates or bars 8 and as a result the completed nail drops into position with its head-resting on the upper edge of the plates or bars-8., in which position the nail moves by gravity along said plates or bars to be received into some suitable recephammer 18 in timed relation to thetacle. Between each driving operation of the 'lunger or hammer, the strip is fed by the eeding rollers to present material from which may be cut the washer 0. Theoperaw tion is continuous with nails being delivered successively to driving position in timed relation to the operationof the several parts or mechanisms of the machine.

In the event it is desirousor expedient to form the washers 0 from a spherical mass of metal instead of from a strip ofmetal A, as has been described, the strip feeding means and guiding means for such strip would be omitted and spherical mass feeding means and a centering means for the mass would be incorporated, in manner I shall now explain,

reference being had particularly to Figs. 9, 10 and 11. v

- To the upper and front face of the guiding head 10 is mounted a hopper from which depends a delivery spout 61 into which the spherical masses D are delivered one at a time, and these are discharged from said spout, by gravity, into an extension of the delivery opening 16. These spheres are valved from the hopper 60 into the spout 61 by means of a slide valve 62 having a pocket 63 adapted to pick up the spheres with each reciprocation, and deliver the same into the upper end of said spout 61. Said valve is relever arm connected to the upper end of.

the plunger or hammer 18. A slotted connection is provided between the crank 64 and the valve 62 and between the lever arm 65 and the plunger or hammer, as shown, to compensatefor the play required between the movement of these parts and prevent binding thereof.

In place of the centralizing housing 56, but corresponding thereto, is a centralizing housing 66 secured to the lower end of the head 10, with a discharge opening 67 in axial alignment with and forming an extension of the deliveryopening 16. In superimposed and spaced relation in said housing are provided two sets of centralizing means, in all respects similar to that shown in Fig. 8, comprising as one set the members 68 and as the other set the members 69, each'radially movable and spring held like in the set previously described and shown in Fig. 8. In the one set,

the members 68 provide a seat for the reception of the pointed ends of the nails and in the other set, the members 69 provide a seat for the reception spheres passing a guiding opening 70 in the housing 66, into the discharge opening 67 in said housing, restof thespheres D; the said from the spout 61 through viously explained. The centralizing means of each set, separating under pressure of the nail and returning to receiving position immediately on the passage of the nail to the dies and the receding of the plunger or hammer, substantially as heretofore disclosed.

I have elected to show the centralizing means of Figs. 10 and 11 as containing fewer of the centralizing members than shown in Fig. 8, to illustrate that a fewer'or greater number may be employed, as desired. Furthermore, it will be obvious that while I have elected to show the driving movement of the plunger or hammer as perpendicular, its movement may be in a horizontal direction,

or otherwise, as may be found desirable or expedient.

This application is a continuation of the application filed by me February 15th, 1928, hearing Serial No. 254,529.

What I claim is: V

1 In a machine for lead-heading nails, in combination, means to successively feed nails to position preparatory to being headed, means to feed a lead strip across the path of projection of the nails andfrom which the lead-heads are formed, means to drive the nails through the lead strip to heading position and simultaneously sever from said strip sections of material for the lead-' heads, laterally movable header means adapted when moved to operative osition to form the said sections of material a out the nail heads, and means to prevent lateral movement of the nail during 'the lateral movement of the forming means to inoperative position. v

2. In a machine for lead-heading nails, in combination, means to successively feed nails to position preparatory to being headed, means to center the nails at driving position, said centering means including a plurality of radially movable tensioned fingers having their inner ends formed to engage and hold the nail throughout the circumference of the shank thereof, means to feed a lead strip across the path of projection of the nails and from which the lead-heads are formed, means to drive the nails through the lead strip to heading position and simultaneously sever from said strip sectionseof material for the lead-heads, laterally movable means adapted when moved to operative position to form the said sections of material about the nail and means to prevent lateral movement of the finished nail when the forming means is moving laterally to its inoperative position whereby clogging of said forming means is eliminated.

3. In a machine for lead-heading nails, in combination, means to successively feed nails to position preparatory to being headed, means to feed a lead strip across the ath of projection of the nails and from w ich the lead-heads are formed, means to drive the nails through the lead strip to heading position and simultaneously sever from said stri sections of material for the leadhea s, opposed laterally movable header means adapted when moved to operative position to form the said sections of material about the nail heads, a dischar 'n for the lead-headed nails, said disc argin means engaging the nail during the latera movement of the forming means to its inoperatlve position whereby to prevent lateral movement of the nail.

4. In a machine for lead-heading nails 1n comb1nation, means to. successively feed nails to position pre aratory' to being head- .ed, means to center t e nails at driving posia plution, said centering means includin rality of radially movable tensionef fingers having their inner ends formed to engage and hold the nail throughout the circumference of the shank thereof, means to feed a lead strip across the ath of projection of the nails and from w ich the leadheads are formed, means to drive the nails through the lead strip'to heading position and simultaneously sever from said strip sections of material for the lead-heads, laterally movable means adapted when moved to operative position to form the material about the nail heads, and means beneath the forming means to prevent lateral movement of the finished nail when said forming means is moved laterally to its inoperative position.

5. In a machine for lead-heading nails in combination, means to successively fee nails to position preparatory to bein headed, means to feed a lead strip across the path of projection of the nails and from which the lead-heads are formed, means to drive the nails through the lead strip to headin position and simultaneousl sever from sai strip sections of materia for the leadheads, laterally movable separable die members adapted when moved to operative position to successively act on the nails and the said sections of material to form the material about the heads of said nails, and means to prevent lateral movement of the nail when said die members are moved laterally to their inoperative position whereby to revent clogging of said, die members by the ished nai 6. In a machine for lead-heading nails in combination, means to successively feed nails to position preparatory to being headed, means to support and center the nails at driving positions, said centering means including a plurality of radially movable tensioned fingers having their inner ends formed to enga e and hold the nail throughout the circum erence of the shank thereof, means to feed a lead strip across the path of projection of the nails and from which the leadheads are formed, means to drive the nails said sections of means spective nails,

through the lead strip to heading position and simultaneously sever from said strip sections of material for the lead-heads, laterally movable separable die members adapted when moved to operative position to successively act on the nails and the said sections of materiallto form the material about the heads of said nails," means to close and open said dies preparatory to and after head forming, and means to receive and discharge the headed nails, said receiving means being disposed transversely of the path of movement of said die members to prevent lateral movement of the nail when the die members are moved laterally to their open inoperative position whereby to prevent clogging of the die members by the finished nails.

7. In a machine for lead-heading nails, in combination, laterally movable separable die members normally held in open inoperative position, means to feed a continuous strip of soft metal across the opening between said members, means to successively project nails through said strip and into head forming position between said dies and to simultaneously detach from said strip sections of the strip for heading the nails, means to move the dies toward each other whereby to act on the sections of material to form the material about the heads of the nails, and means to prevent lateral movement of the nail when the dies are moved laterally to their open inoperative position whereby to prevent clogging of said dies by the finished nail.

8. In a machine for lead-heading nails,

in combination, laterally movable eoacting die members, means to feed a continuous strip of soft metal across the point of coaction of said members, means to successively deliver nails to driving position through said metal strip, means to drive the succeeding nails through said strip at successively different points throughout the strip and to simultaneously sever from the strip sections of the metal to form the heads, means to cause a coaction of the die members to form the sections of metal as heads about the reand means to prevent lateral movement of the nail when the die members are moved laterally to their inoperative position whereby to prevent clogging of said die members by the finished nails.

9. In a machine for lead-heading nails, in combination, means to successively feed nails to position preparatory to being headed, means to feed heading material across the path of projection of the nails and from which the lead-heads are formed, means to drive the nails through the material to heading position, laterally movable means to form said material about the nail heads, means to move the forming means laterally into and out of operative position, and means to prevent lateral movement of the nail when the forming means is moved laterally to its inoperative position whereby to prevent clogging of the forming means by the finished nail.

10. In a machine for lead-heading nails, in combination, means to successively feed nails to position preparatory to being headed, means to center the nails at driving position, said centering means including a plurality of radially movable tensioned fingers having their inner ends formed to engage and hold the nail throughout the circumference of the shank thereof, means to feed heading material across the path of projection of the nails and from which the lead heads are formed, means to drive the nails through the material to heading position, laterally movable means adapted when moved to operative position toform the material about the nail heads and means to prevent lateral movement of the nail when the forming means is moved laterally to its inoperative position whereby to prevent clogging of the forming means by the finished nail.

11. In a machine for lead-heading nails, in combination, means to successively feed nails to position preparatory to being headed, means to feed heading material across the path of projection of the nails and from which the lead-heads are formed, means to drive the nails through the material to heading position, laterally movable means to form said material about the nail heads, means to move the forming means into and out of operative position, and a pair of spaced coacting guide members disposed beneath said forming means to receive a portion of said nail during the forming operation, said guide members preventing lateral movement of the nail when the forming means is moved laterally to its inoperative position whereby to prevent clogginig of said forming means by the finished nal In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my hand this 9th day of August, 1929.

GEORGE N. WILLIAMS. 

